May be a dumb question to the experts here. As we know on manual, unless you push in the cluch pedal or shift to N, the tranny is always engage the engine. So when is auto tranny disengaged from engine? N or just leave it on D while release the gas pedal.

 

torque convertor

 

Oh no. Actually I meant is there any engine brake on AT while coasting?

 

try this, while moving pretty fast, "downshift" into Low gear.

you should feel the "engine braking" on your automatic.

 

Don't actually do this. If he doesn't know what he's doing, he's likely to damage his transmission.

Yes, automatic transmissions can do "engine braking" just like a manual. However, I would generally recommend against it, especially if you aren't intimately familiar with the car and the transmission. Brakes take an hour and $60 to change. Transmissions cost thousands of dollars to have changed out.

Anyway, you can downshift your auto trans just like a manual. If you click your O/D off button, you'll lock out 4th gear from engaging, which holds the car to using only the first three gears. Generally speaking, if you're under low load or coasting at speeds greater than 40mph and you click O/D off, you'll feel some engine braking as it downshifts into 3rd.

 

try this... get on the highway going about 80mph and QUICKLY pull the gearshift lever towards yourself util it is in "1". It will quickly stop your car... ...forever...

 

Haha, Maximas probly have the 1st gear lockout- probly second too to prevent that exactly from happening. I had a pontiac before that a friend tried to shift in 2nd but ripped it into first at like 65 i was like ohh **** but it stayed in 2nd. Nissan's probly smarter than to let you shift whatever you want, also has anybody ever had that fail-safe thing come on? You know in the manual where it says if the trans is used in excessive wheel spinning and subsequent hard braking, the O/D light flashes and its in fail-safe? Sorry about all the q's, i have a stick

 

This is a pet peev of mine: Why do people downshift manuals every time they come to a stop? (accept when going down a steep grade). clutches/transmissions cost so much more than a brake jobs.
and I shift enough without shifting back threw almost every gear every time I come to a stop.
I see almost no reason to ever doo this.
Brent

 

They want to be cool.

What I do is i clutch-out and shift to neutral. Then I just brake. $Transmission > $Brakes.

 

P and N.

...

Some aspects of the auto Maxima are idiot proof... it will not downshift if the speed is too high for the selected gear.

 

yea and also for anyone thats wondering 2k2+ autos will not let u shift into reverse or park if ur going over about 3MPH and dont have ur foot on the brake...thank god for that or my tranny woulda been gone right now.